Firm to Unveil $300M Georgetown Project

Stephen Soler, president of the Georgetown Land Development Co., says his firm expects to submit a formal plan for the property to the Town of Redding before the end of this year. He says the mixed-use development, which will include commercial office, retail and housing uses, will cost more than $300 million to complete. The project also calls for a new Metro North railroad station for Georgetown and the cleanup of some contaminants, specifically zinc and lead in the soil. The remediation of the Brownfield property will cost anywhere from $7 million to $10 million, Soler adds.

Georgetown Land held a series of planning sessions here recently to obtain comments on the project from area residents and elected officials, designers, transportation officials and others. The 11 sessions, which each attracted hundreds, were led by Andres Duany of DPZ Architects and Town Planners. The sessions eventually produced a draft development plan that is now being finalized, Soler says.

He notes that the draft plan is a bit too large and that his firm "is going to whittle it down a bit. We are now evaluating appropriate density based upon what we heard from the charrette," Soler notes. The preliminary plan calls for 542 units of housing, including more than 40 affordable senior housing units and 330,288 sf of commercial space with office, retail, civic and manufacturing uses. The commercial space will include some new construction and some renovation of existing buildings on the property. Other facets of the project are: 2,334 parking spaces, including a more than 1,300-car parking garage; a 5,000-sf Black Box Theater for adaptive entertainment uses and a 40,000-sf to 50,000-sf Wilton YMCA adult fitness facility that would feature a 50-meter swimming pool.

Soler says he feels that the number of housing units in the draft was a bit too dense. However, he notes the final plan would feature a mix of attached and detached homes as well as townhomes and work/live apartments.

The firm will need zone change and master plan approvals in order to proceed with its venture. The plan would also include the establishment of a special tax district that would cover the cost of infrastructure improvements and the construction of the new Metro North railroad station.

Construction could begin sometime in 2004 and would involve the demolition and rehabilitation of some of the existing space on the property. The start of construction on the housing and new commercial space would most likely take place in 2005, Soler says.